


feels like (home)

by WrongSeason



Category: His Dark Materials (TV)
Genre: F/F, Five times plus one time, Fluff, Science Girlfriends, but they’re baby, not much happens action wise, plenty of Cave talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 14:27:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28957929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WrongSeason/pseuds/WrongSeason
Summary: Five times Marisa Coulter found Mary Malone in the Cave, and one time she didn’t.
Relationships: Marisa Coulter/Mary Malone
Comments: 15
Kudos: 58





	feels like (home)

**Author's Note:**

> Blame the HDM discord server for this. 
> 
> Thank you MagicalStardust for convincing me this isn’t garbage. 
> 
> Comments make an authors day!

i.

The door opening makes Mary jump. Lost in thought, as per usual. The lines on her screen scatter and return to blackness. She pulls the electrodes off her temples in frustration, and turns round to face the intruder, ready to berate Oliver for disrupting her. 

“You’re not Oliver,” is what she manages, frowning at the women in the doorway of the Cave. 

“Well observed,” Marisa retorts, taking a step into the Cave and shutting the door behind her with a _click_. “I thought we might revisit our conversation from the other day?”

She takes the spare stool that’s oft reserved for Oliver, and crosses her legs delicately at the ankles. Mary doesn’t like other people being in the Cave. Isn’t sure she likes being in it all that much herself. There’s something equal parts comforting and lonely about the echoing silence she’s normally faced with. But it’s just started talking, and she’s desperate to learn more. 

“And why should I entertain you? After you so abruptly left last time.” 

Mary may be a little bitter, but she reasons that she has the right to be. Fruitless google searches had left her with more questions than answers, and the Cave itself hadn’t been very helpful either. 

“Because I’m willing to talk.”

Mary sighs, and picks up her coffee mug, which she dejectedly realises is empty. 

“Fine. But I need coffee.”

ii.

Marisa brings coffee with her the next time. Mary doesn’t jump when the door goes, but she isn’t quite as engrossed in her work. 

In fact, she’s about thirty seconds away from flinging the monitor across the room in frustration. She’s tried all the usual tricks, but is greeted with unrelenting darkness. The bright lights behind the monitor are starting to make her head hurt. 

Marisa holds the take-out cup up as a peace offering, and Mary all but sprints across the room. She thanks her, and takes the drink. 

“God, I could kiss you!” She takes a sip of the coffee, and slumps back into her chair in defeat. Marisa stays glued to her spot, eyes wide. Mary squints at her, and leans forwards, resting her elbows on her knees. 

“It’s an expression, Marisa. Don’t tell me you’ve never heard it.”

“Not from around here, remember.”

Mary shrugs it off. It’s too early to question what that really means. 

iii.

The third time, Mary’s only been in the Cave for five minutes. Marisa has coffee again, but she also has a rather large bag with her. 

Mary could swear it moves. 

“What’s in the bag?” She asks, pleasantries forgotten. 

“Glad you asked,” Marisa responds, smirking in a way that makes Mary regret opening her mouth at all. She sets the bag on the floor, and unbuckles the flap. 

Mary can’t help her gasp. She wasn’t exactly expecting a golden monkey to be the latest visitor to her Cave. Oliver hasn’t even visited since Marisa started coming. If she didn’t know him any better, she’d say he was probably scared of Marisa. She carries herself with an attitude that suggests she isn’t to be fucked with. 

“He’s uh, uh.” 

She can’t quite articulate herself, so instead crouches down to get a better look. Her head tilts, and he copies her with a curious squeak. 

“Quite.”

Mary stands back up, grumbling at her protesting knees. 

“So,” she smiles at Marisa, and takes her coffee. “You gonna tell me about him?”

Marisa does. Reluctantly.

iv. 

Ozymandias now joins Marisa and Mary in the cave. Mary brings biscuits, and they just talk. 

It’s nice. 

Unusual. But nice. 

She comes to learn that “not from around here” really means “from a different world entirely”. The Cave told her that one, but the daemon currently sat at her feet begging for a coconut biscuit kind of gave it away too. 

“I know he doesn’t _need_ to eat, but he’s so pitiful. Can he not just have one?” 

“No, Mary, he cannot. Don’t go soft on him.”

Mary pouts, and Marisa rolls her eyes. The both look down at Ozy, who’s staring up with pleading eyes. Mary apologises to him, and ruffles the top of his head. Marisa jolts as if she’s been electrocuted. 

She doesn’t complain though. 

v.

Ozymandias has a bed soon after. Mary knows now that she’s not meant to touch him, but she hates the thought of him not having somewhere comfortable to rest. 

Marisa eyes it suspiciously, but doesn’t say anything. 

They’ve talked about so much over the last few weeks, they’ve reached a comfortable silence stage. Sat dunking biscuits into overly sweet tea, there’s no need to talk about other worlds, or lost children, or Dust. 

“Why’d you leave the convent?”

Ah. Mary figured they’d get here eventually. So, she tells the truth. 

“I fell in love,” she says simply. 

Mostly she tells people it’s because she couldn’t ignore her desire to study any more. But Marisa has been so honest with her she decides it needs reciprocity. 

“Being gay and in the church don’t exactly go hand in hand.”

If Marisa is surprised by this, she doesn’t let it show. She just rests a hand on top of Mary’s, in a rather unprecedented show of affection. 

“Did it work out?”

Mary laughs.

“Does it ever with straight girls?” 

Marisa removes her hand. Guess not. 

+i.

Mary is not in the Cave when Marisa opens the door. Ozymandias scrabbles out of his bag, and wanders aimlessly around the room looking for her. 

Marisa tries to ignore the lump in her throat, and quell the rising panic. She exits the building quickly, looking around campus for Mary. 

She finds her by a food truck, still in the queue. 

“You weren’t in the Cave,” she states, frantically scanning Mary to make sure she’s actually real.

“I thought I’d buy us lunch, but I didn’t realise the queue would be so long!” She puts a steadying hand on Marisa’s shoulder. Marisa is a creature of habit. Mary knows by now that 12 o’clock on Tuesdays and Fridays mean Marisa is going to make her way quietly into the Cave. She didn’t consider that her not being there would cause so much distress. “Hey,” she says softly. “Look at me. I’m here. I’m okay.”

Marisa does look at her. Sees concerned blue-grey eyes, and wild red curls, and knows exactly why she feels so frantic. 

So she kisses her. Onlookers be damned because Mary Malone kisses her back, and Marisa Coulter finally feels something like home.


End file.
